Cancer is the one word no one ever wants to hear, and for 24-year-old Brock Powell, cancer was the last thing on his mind.
On Jan. 20, he went to the hospital thinking he had the flu.
After several hours in emergency, the doctor told him something he wasn’t expecting — he has testicular and lung cancer.
Powell is positive but admits it’s been tough. “The hard part for me is trying to tell people and trying to deal with their emotions as opposed to me trying to deal with it.”
Not surprising to those that know Powell, as giving is second nature to him.
He does respite work and is a housing liaison officer helping to get homeless people off the street. He volunteers as a coach in basketball and soccer for the Special Olympics.
That’s how Krista Veenstra, the Special Olympics volunteer co-ordinator, knows Powell, adding that he also coaches her son Justin.
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“Like everybody else, shock — I know that he’s a strong guy — I know he’s going to kick it and come back stronger,” she said.
Those that care about Powell have convinced him to accept the help he has so freely given in the past.
A GoFundMe account has been set up while he’s off work getting treatment.
Powell says he’s been overwhelmed by the response. The over-$20,000 raised so far means he can concentrate on what’s important, not how he’s going to pay next month’s rent.
“This has allowed me just to focus on getting back and being better and becoming healthy again and so again, I’d like to thank everybody that has helped out with the GoFundMe.”
Powell has turned his cancer diagnosis into an opportunity. With the help of his family, he’s printed up dozens of T-shirts that they’re selling online.
He’s going to take the proceeds and donate them to Kingston General Hospital’s oncology unit that is currently helping him.
Tom Greening is the executive director at Home Base Housing where Powell works. Greening says Powell is the type of employee every boss dreams of having and that’s why so many of Powell’s co-workers have jumped on-board to support him.
“We’ve got home-based teams that are going to be in the relay for life to raise some additional money. We’ve got a lot of people here buying some of the T-shirts that Brock has put together as well as selling.”
Powell still has a long road ahead of him.
His next round of chemotherapy starts Sunday, and he has at least two more rounds after that and surgery.
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